Christmas.

Mercifully festivities kicked off yesterday at the sensible hour of 7am. We have spent too many Christmases exhausted having been wrenched from sleep in the very very early hours. One particularly memorable year it was 4.30am. The secret was to set the alarm and enforce that there was NO getting up before it went off. It worked.

Here was the show before presents carefully choreographed by Tobes and Mimi (aka Santa and his helper):

While opening presents we ate and drank this:

My surprise present was this 120 year old 5 trumpet epergne:

Which Kim bought from Mr Kent at his splendid antique shop Kent and Kent, 3 Morrison Street, Hobart. Mum and I plundered the garden and tried it out with sweet peas and roses yet agreed that it looked best with artichokes. Luckily there were five growing on the one plant.

Between bouts of cooking and socialising I read this:

I couldn't put it down. My head is swimming with Marjorie's recipes and handy hints yet here's one I thought was timely in the lead up to dressing up for New Year and I quote directly from p115 of Danielle Wood's Housewife Superstar: The Very Best of Marjorie Bligh:

Gown Protected

If you .....walk to parties or dances, protect the bottom of your frock with a rubbish bag. Make 2 leg holes and pull on up to waist. It may look strange, but your frock will keep clean.


It will be perfect - especially if it's raining here in Hobart as is predicted. Not quite so sure about the recipes for mock oysters (mix cooked mashed brains with salt, pepper and lemon juice into a thick white sauce p119), stretching butter or rouge in case you run out (cut beetroot p104).

The thing about Christmas is that after all the hype it is always over so quickly, don't you think?
R